The Swirling Stars of Merethin is a mammoth, cultured nation, ruled by Iris with a fair hand, and notable for its compulsory vegetarianism, smutty television, and national health service. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 6.185 billion Merethinians love a good election, and the government gives them plenty of them. Universities tend to be full of students debating the merits of various civil and political rights, while businesses are tightly regulated and the wealthy viewed with suspicion.

The enormous, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Industry, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Merethin City. The average income tax rate is 99.7%.

The frighteningly efficient Merethinian economy, worth a remarkable 1,370 trillion golden coins a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is mostly made up of the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Book Publishing and Tourism. Average income is an amazing 221,533 golden coins, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Many politicians are serving jail time for minor drug offenses, the election for Iris's office's janitor is heating up, spectating AI chess fans heckle players when they miss a mate-in-twenty-seven opportunity, and employers are finding it hard to screen candidates now that everyone gets A grades in their exams. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Merethin's national animal is the axolotl, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans, and its national religion is Star Sister.

Merethin is ranked 163,079^th in the world and 256^th in Starlight for Most Conservative, scoring 50.75 on the Bush-Santorum Dawning Terror Index.